My Joystick Has Stopped Working/Died.

[KJakker 875]

Well today my Microsoft SideWinder Precision 2 Joystick that I have had for, I think, fifteen years seems to have finally died on me.

 

I was testing some aircraft data file and weapons mods in SF2. The instant my test mission finished loading the aircraft went into an uncommanded role to the right and I was forced to Ctrl-Alt-Del out of the game. After that the game did not recognize the joystick which prompted me to check windows which showed that the stick was not detected by the OS but the port I had the joystick plugged into detected a flash drive just fine.

 

I have run the Windows Hardware and Devices troubleshooter and tried plugging the stick into multiple USB ports on three different computers to no effect. I don't know if it is the USB plug or an internal component that has failed.

 

Any advice other than buying a new Joystick?

[+Geary 1,877]

You could try uninstalling the joystick drivers. Clean the registry. Reboot. Reload the drivers.

[Boresight 51]

You could try uninstalling the joystick drivers. Clean the registry. Reboot. Reload the drivers.

 

Yes, otherwise if this doesn't solve it, try to disassemble it with a philips screwdriver or something, and look for something broken or detached inside.

(Connections, or other components, etc.)

[BlitzGreek 34]

God bless it man...God bless 

[KJakker 875]

Weird, all of yesterday my joystick was not recognized by any computer in my house even after reboots, updates, and all of the other things I tried and yet today I plugged it in and the computer recognized it without issue.  I just reset the control settings in SF2 now that the stick is detected again and flew an intercept mission and downed three bombers in an F-102 without issue. I don't know exactly what was going on.

 

The only thing I can think of is something that I read while trying to troubleshoot the issue late yesterday night. I found out that the SideWinder Precision 2 is the only joystick of the SideWinder family to have a steel base plate. Apparently a side effect of this feature is that it can cause a build up of static electricity in the stick that disrupts the signal passing through the cable between the stick and the computer. According to the post if the stick is left unplugged for several hours this static charge will dissipate and restore the stick to proper operation.

 

I just find it odd that in all of the years that I have had this joystick I never encountered such an issue before. Still stick is working again so that is all I care about.

 

Thank for all of your comments.   

[Boresight 51]

Interesting about the steel base plate interference.

 

Eitherway glad to know it's back in action again.